A Remarkable Legend Poem by Deidre Dixon

It's no wonder why she was named after a precious stone
Just as precious as she could be
Ruby Ann Wallace was a legendary actress with the stage name Ruby Dee

She was an activist, humanitarian, playwright, screenwriter, a journalist and a poet
Though she was 91 years old when she went 'home'
To look at her beauty, charm and grace, you wouldn't know it

You cannot talk about Ruby Dee without mentioning the love of her life
She adored Ossie Davis, and you could see it in her eyes
She was his companion, his partner and his loving wife

They had three children together during their marriage that lasted until Ossie was gone
A daughter named Nora Day and one named Hasna Muhammad
And Guy Davis, a blues musician, was their only son

She was born in Cleveland, Ohio and Harlem, New York is where she was raised
She attended Hunter College High School in Harlem
Then graduated from Hunter College with a romance languages degree during her younger days

She acted in so many movies, stage plays and TV shows there are just too many to name
She was also an activist and friends with people like Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X
Her acting on stage, TV and in the movies were not the only things that gave her fame

She emceed the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and was a member of the NAACP
She was a member of the Congress of Racial Equality, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
And she was a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority

Now after all that has been said already, you would think there could not possibly be anything else
Ruby Dee was an iconic beauty and a remarkable legend
She had a many-faceted life with a lot of accolades and experiences under her belt

In 1999 she was arrested for protesting; in 2003 signed 'Not in My Name' opposing the invasion of Iraq
She received countless awards, nominations and an honorary degree
For more than three decades she survived telling breast cancer, 'Now take that! '

She was as large as life and accomplished so much before she departed to heaven
She was an example of beauty, grace, strength and substance
Ruby Dee was a remarkable legend!